(Visual Basic 6.0) How to Avoid Large Strings in HTTP Responses

In some programming languages/environments, returning and passing large strings is problematic for both performance and other reasons (for example, with SQL Server limitations on sizes varchar variables).

One way of avoiding the need to return the actual string data, is to pass the data from one place to another via a Chilkat StringBuilder or BinData object. This example demonstrates a simple HTTP GET where the response body contains XML approximately 274K in size. The response body is loaded into the Chilkat.Xml without the XML content ever needing to leave the native code internal to Chilkat.

Note: This example requires Chilkat v9.5.0.64 or greater.

Chilkat ActiveX Downloads ActiveX for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows

' This example assumes the Chilkat HTTP API to have been previously unlocked.
' See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

Dim http As New ChilkatHttp

Dim resp As ChilkatHttpResponse
Set resp = http.QuickGetObj("https://www.chilkatsoft.com/hamlet.xml")
If (http.LastMethodSuccess <> 1) Then
    Debug.Print http.LastErrorText
    Exit Sub
End If

Dim sb As New ChilkatStringBuilder
' Copy the response body to sb.
Dim success As Long
success = resp.GetBodySb(sb)

Dim xml As New ChilkatXml
' Load the XML from the sb.
Dim bAutoTrim As Long
bAutoTrim = 0
success = xml.LoadSb(sb,bAutoTrim)

Debug.Print "The response body was " & sb.Length & " characters in length."
Debug.Print "Success."

' The output is:
' 
' 	The response body was 279658 characters in length.
' 	Success.